Refrigerator

Abstract

A refrigerator according to an embodiment includes: a duct dividing the inside of a storage compartment body into a storage compartment and an air channel and having a main discharge port and a sub-discharge port; an air guide dividing the air channel into a first channel communicating with the main discharge port and a second channel guiding air in the first channel to the sub-discharge port; a heat exchanger provided in the first channel; and a fan suctioning air in the storage compartment and sending the air to the first channel. According to the refrigerator, it is possible to maximize the volume of the storage compartment and separately discharge air to the main discharge port and the sub-discharge port, using a simple structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A refrigerator comprising:
 a duct that divides an inside of the refrigerator into a storage compartment and an air channel, the duct having a first port and a second port; 
 an air guide that divides the air channel into a first channel communicating with the first port and a second channel guiding air in the first channel to the second port; 
 a heat exchanger provided in the first channel; and 
 a fan that suctions in air from the storage compartment and outputs the air to the first channel, 
 wherein the duct includes a duct cover in which the first port and the second port are formed and an insulator having an inner discharge hole communicating with the first port, 
 wherein the duct cover includes a front cover, a first side cover and a second side cover, the first and second side covers being protruded rearward from the front cover, 
 wherein the second channel is formed between the air guide and the second side cover, and 
 wherein the second side cover includes an upper guide spaced vertically from an upper end of the air guide and a side guide spaced horizontally from the air guide, to allow the air in the first channel to enter the second channel through between the upper end of the air guide and the upper guide and to flow through between the side guide and the air guide. 
 
     
     
       2. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a horizontal width of the heat exchanger is smaller than a horizontal width of the first channel, and
 a horizontal width of the second channel is smaller than the horizontal width of the heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       3. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a side of the heat exchanger faces the air guide in a left-right direction, and
 the second channel does not overlap the heat exchanger in a front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the air guide is elongated in an up-down direction in the duct and separates the first channel and the second channel. 
     
     
       5. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein a front-rear width of the air guide is larger than a front-rear width of the heat exchanger. 
     
     
       6. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pantry bin provided in the storage compartment and positioned to be cooled by air discharged through the second port; and 
 a damper that controls air discharged to the second port from the second channel, 
 wherein the second port is biased to one of left or right side from a vertical central axis of the duct. 
 
     
     
       7. The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the damper is provided at a side of the fan. 
     
     
       8. The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the duct includes a protrusion that extends forward at a lower portion, and
 the fan and the damper are provided in the protrusion. 
 
     
     
       9. The refrigerator of  claim 6 , wherein the second channel includes:
 an upper channel positioned at a side of the first channel; 
 a lower channel positioned over the damper and not overlapping the upper channel in an up-down direction; and 
 an inclined channel connecting the upper channel and the lower channel. 
 
     
     
       10. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes:
 a front heat exchanger spaced from the duct in an front-rear direction; and 
 a rear heat exchanger spaced from the front heat exchanger and the storage compartment in the front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       11. The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein a front-rear width of the air guide is larger than a sum of a width of a gap between the duct and the front heat exchanger, a width of a gap between the front heat exchanger and the rear heat exchanger, and a width of a gap between the rear heat exchanger and a storage compartment body. 
     
     
       12. The refrigerator of  claim 10 , wherein the duct further includes a purification channel housing defining a purification channel through which air in the storage compartment passes,
 an air purifier is provided in the purification channel, and 
 the front heat exchanger has a bypassing region that bypasses the purification channel. 
 
     
     
       13. The refrigerator of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the duct cover is formed with a purification suction hole and purification discharge hole that communicate with the purification channel, and 
 wherein the insulator is formed with the purification channel housing protruding rearward. 
 
     
     
       14. The refrigerator of  claim 12 , wherein an area of the front heat exchanger in an up-down direction and an left-right direction is smaller than an area of the rear heat exchanger in the up-down and left-right directions, and
 the sum of the areas of the front heat exchanger and the rear heat exchanger is larger than an area of the duct in the up-down and left-right directions. 
 
     
     
       15. The refrigerator of  claim 1 , wherein the fan includes:
 a fan motor; and 
 a fan housing outside the fan motor and having a discharge guide integrally protruding from an upper surface to guide air to the first channel, and 
 wherein the discharge guide has a defrost water drain hole. 
 
     
     
       16. A refrigerator comprising:
 a duct that divides an inside of the refrigerator into a storage compartment and an air channel, the duct having a first port and a second port; 
 an air guide that divides the air channel into a first channel communicating with the first port and a second channel guiding air in the first channel to the second port; 
 a heat exchanger provided in the first channel; 
 a fan that suctions in air from the storage compartment and outputs the air to the first channel; 
 a pantry bin provided in the storage compartment and positioned to be cooled by air discharged through the second port; and 
 a damper that controls air discharged to the second port from the second channel, 
 wherein the second port is biased to one of left or right side from a vertical central axis of the duct, and 
 wherein the duct includes a protrusion that extends forward at a lower portion, and the fan and the damper are provided in the protrusion. 
 
     
     
       17. A refrigerator comprising:
 a duct that divides an inside of the refrigerator into a storage compartment and an air channel, the duct having a first port and a second port; 
 an air guide that divides the air channel into a first channel communicating with the first port and a second channel guiding air in the first channel to the second port; 
 a heat exchanger provided in the first channel; 
 a fan that suctions in air from the storage compartment and outputs the air to the first channel; 
 a pantry bin provided in the storage compartment and positioned to be cooled by air discharged through the second port; and 
 a damper that controls air discharged to the second port from the second channel, 
 wherein the second port is biased to one of left or right side from a vertical central axis of the duct, and 
 wherein the second channel includes:
 an upper channel positioned at a side of the first channel; 
 a lower channel positioned over the damper and not overlapping the upper channel in an up-down direction; and 
 an inclined channel connecting the upper channel and the lower channel.